Dear Bubbe,
I did a little bit of looking and here are some of the things I've
found.
My choice, although more expensive, would be Universal Word 2000 ML6.
(see #4 below) But you can see my explorations and some of the tools
I've
found for you along the way.
1) The first one will work with Yiddish, Hebrew and can incorporate
several other languages that we all know seem to be integrated into
our speech and idioms over the years.
The folks at Dvir Software will let you download the program for free
to
try it for 30 days. It has a spell-checker in English and Hebrew. But
it's not
really clear if it will spell-check in Yiddish, too. You'll be able to
see when you download it. It comes from Israel. And the price, if you
buy it, is between 174 - 215 $US, including shipping (The software
will also help you with the nikudot - the vowels.)
http://www.qtext.com/ftp.htm
2) If you just want a dictionary, for $50.00, here's an interesting
English-Yiddish
tool with 40,000 words/phrases
http://www.ectaco.com/software/item.php3?refid=511&softid=145&scat=1
3) Oh, look at this - some free software you can download to convert
your present keyboard to Yiddish. They give you instructions on how to
figure out which keys to hit to generate the appropriate Yiddish
letters. (Personally, this would make me crazy. I'd rather just get a
Yiddish keyboard.)
http://zsigri.tripod.com/fontboard/yiddish.html
4) Universal Word 2000 ML6 - This software looks the most
professional and
comes with some powerful word processing capabilities, including being
able to mail merge your documents to personalize them to several
people
at once. It's nearly $300. But if nations could live together like the
languages that are bundled in this package, oy, could we have peace!
http://www.worldlanguage.com/Products/778.htm
4) a. The same folks also sell keboards for $79 or just sets of
stickers
http://www.worldlanguage.com/Products/Hebrew/Keyboards/Page1.htm
5) DavkaWriter's packaging doesn't look as polished as the Universal
Word's
but it IS half the price. They say it "Yiddish support-full entry of
all Yiddish-specific Hebrew characters, including YIVO! " but, I don't
see
anything about spell-checking or other help in Yiddish, sorry.
http://www.hebrewworld.com/DavkaWriter2001.html
6) Global Writer $129.00 looks like the best value for the money -
until you look closely. It has a spell-checker, a customizable
Thesaurus - the only problem? You have to teach it your language -
"Global Writer does not automatically translate. You must know the
language that you are typing."
http://www.multilingualbooks.com/global.html
Most of the options I find online all point to these items. If you
want me
to keep looking, please let me know. I can call the people at Moment
Magazine
and see what they recommend
http://www.momentmag.com/index.asp
Shana Tova, tikatevu v'techatemu
TaxMama-ga |
Request for Answer Clarification by
grandma2002-ga
on
07 Sep 2002 10:47 PDT
I am looking for software that will correct incorrect Yiddish
spelling and find grammatical errors. I want English and Yiddish.
Does such software exist?
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
grandma2002-ga
on
07 Sep 2002 10:47 PDT
What does "interface" mean?
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Clarification of Answer by
taxmama-ga
on
07 Sep 2002 12:22 PDT
Dear Bubbe,
The WorldLanguage software looks like it can do this.
So, I have contacted them. Perhaps I can get an answer
from them on Monday.
If it doesn't do what you need, I will call the people at
Moment Magazine (it's a Yiddish culture magazine) next
week and see what they can recommend. Obviously, they are
using something to produce each issue, which contains both
English and Yiddish. http://www.momentmag.com/index.asp
Regardless, I am sure they can point us in the right direction.
I'll get back to you Monday, OK?
May your coming year be always full of honey.
TaxMama-ga
|
Clarification of Answer by
taxmama-ga
on
09 Sep 2002 09:40 PDT
Oh my goodness!
Here's the answer I got from the folks at Moment Magazine
"At Moment we use Davka Writer for our Hebrew text. I hate to say it,
but as
probably the most technoloy-oriented member of the staff I don't know
of any
programs that work with Yiddish."
The Yiddish Voice store sells only (some of) the same things that I've
listed before. http://store.yv.org/yidcomsof.html
I'm going to keep contacting some of the Yiddish papers to see what
they use.
(Oh, and it's too early in the day to get an answser from the
WorldLanguage software folks. They're probably just starting on their
first cup of coffee.
Best
TaxMama-ga
|
Clarification of Answer by
taxmama-ga
on
10 Sep 2002 05:44 PDT
I got a reply from the kind people who publish the oldest Yiddish
newspaper in America, the Forward. Their editor tells me there is no
Yiddish spell-check software.
But I am still holding out for the Universal Word folks.
Since I contacted them about a potential buyer, I am just curious to
see how long it takes their customer service to respond. If they don't
reply (I always take that as a discouraging sign about future service
after you buy), I'll call them tomorrow.
On the other hand, if they don't want to sell their product, here is
an alternative I'd like to suggest:
1) Download the keyboard software for free
http://zsigri.tripod.com/fontboard/yiddish.html
2) Buy a keyboard or the stickers
http://www.worldlanguage.com/Products/Hebrew/Keyboards/Page1.htm
3) Buy the English-Yiddish Dictionary software
http://www.ectaco.com/software/item.php3?refid=511&softid=145&scat=1
OR buy a printed dictionary to have by your side
Modern English-Yiddish, Yiddish-English Dictionary
(This is what a reader said about it - "The main reason I purchased
this dictionary is because it actually retains the original Yiddish
orthography, that is, the Hebrew alphabet. Many other dictionaries I
saw were transliterated.
Whenever I want/need to look up a Yiddish word, I find this dictionary
has it. It is extremely thorough and up to date to the things that
need to be expressed today. Many times, if I look up the major word in
an English idiom, it lists the equivalent Yiddish idiom, which is very
helpful for writing in Yiddish.")
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805205756/104-1343396-3263148
4) Use your existing word processing software, like Microsoft Word
to write. It will work with the software you downloaded in step one.
An alternative?
4a) Get the GlobalWriter software with the spell-checker and teach
it Yiddish using the Yiddish software you picked up in step 3 above.
http://www.multilingualbooks.com/global.html
Who knows, you could create your own product and sell it to the folks
at GlobalWriter?
I really am surprised that no on has integrated a software dictionary
with one of these products.
But, we're still waiting to hear from the Universal Word folks.
Best wishes
TaxMama-ga
|
Clarification of Answer by
taxmama-ga
on
12 Sep 2002 07:51 PDT
Still no answer to my e-mail from the Universal Word folks.
Odd, I just called their toll-free number 800-900-8803
and there's no answer at all - not even an answering machine.
Their site looks professional. And the product looks interesting.
But, maybe they don't really exist. How odd. You may want to try
to call them after 9:00 am PDT. I've sent myself a note to do the
same.
Still trying.
Best
TaxMama-ga
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
grandma2002-ga
on
12 Sep 2002 12:19 PDT
Dear Taxmama,
Thank you for your efforts. I'll wait for your final word before I buy anything.
Grandma
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Clarification of Answer by
taxmama-ga
on
12 Sep 2002 13:19 PDT
Okay, Bubbe,
Finally, I reached the Universal Word folks. Turns out it's not the
publisher, just the reseller at World Language.com. But, a young man
named Joey said that the ML4 version of the sofware, which only costs
$179.00 will do Yiddish spell-checking.
http://www.worldlanguage.com/Products/267.htm
Good thing we waited. You don't have to spend $300!
Joey swears this will work for you. It doesn't have a grammar checker.
None of them do.
He says there is a 30-day trial period. If you return it, there is a
25% restocking charge. The word processor is built in, so the product
stands alone.
All you need is the keyboard - or the stickers
http://www.worldlanguage.com/Products/Hebrew/Keyboards/Page1.htm
Frankly, I think that's outrageous, since there is no download for you
to test it and see if does what they promise.
I looked for the publisher of the software, but I don't see a website
for them.
This looks like your best bet.
You can call them and talk to them toll-free 800-900-8803
Please, let me know how it works out, ok?
Will you be writing books and articles? Or just letters?
Shana tova,
TaxMama-ga
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
grandma2002-ga
on
15 Sep 2002 04:00 PDT
Hi, taxmama,
I just wrote you an email that disappeared from my computer. Maybe it
got sent in which case this one is redundant. At this point I am
totally confused. What does it mean to say a program "supports
Yiddish"? None of these programs seem to have spell-check in Yiddish.
I've also just emailed Davka, Global Writer, and World Language. I'm
trying to determine how you use Yiddish with what they all say is a
Hebrew keyboard. I know that Yiddish uses the Hebrew alphabet. Does
that mean I can just get a program with a Hebrew keyboard if I can't
find a Yiddish one with spell-check? Help! Miriam
|
Clarification of Answer by
taxmama-ga
on
15 Sep 2002 09:25 PDT
Good Morning, Miriam.
It IS so confusing. Isn't it?
According to the man I spoke with at Universal Word, their program
will spell check in Yiddish. Call the and talk to the directly.
800-900-8803 They'll be able to answer some of the questions.
As to the Keyboard - Yiddish uses the same alphebet as Hebrew. So any
software working with Yiddish will read the right signals from a
Hebrew keyboard.
You can get the keyboard here. (I'd get the keyboard and not the
stickers - you'll want that keyboard to type in English.)
http://www.worldlanguage.com/Products/Hebrew/Keyboards/Page1.htm
Davka, Global Writer, and World Language have the software built in to
recognize the right letter signals from the Hebrew keyboard.
Now, Miriam, my question to you is, do you speak Yiddish at all?
Or were you hoping to completely write in English and have the program
convert it?
If you already speak Yiddish, just not so perfectly anymore, and just
want
to be able to have a tool to put your notes and letters into a word
processor,
these software options will be just fine. Especially the Universal
Word.
If you don't already know Yiddish, and are hoping to use these tools
to translate what you write in English...that may be slower. The
software is likely to be able to translate your individual words. But
I am not sure if it will be able to translate expressions, slang, etc.
appropriately.
If that's the case, I just found this free site, by doing a Google
search for 'learn Yiddish' "Learn Yiddish online by practicing with a
native speaker who is learning your language. Write or speak Yiddish
online to improve grammar or conversation."
http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/Learn/Yiddish.asp
What a marvelous resource! You're going to meet some lovely people.
Have a good fast.
Best wishes
TaxMama-ga
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
grandma2002-ga
on
15 Sep 2002 16:26 PDT
Hi, Taxmama,
I'll call Universal Word tomorrow. I'm just learning Yiddish. I grew
up hearing it in my home but never spoke it. I'd like to send emails
in Yiddish to my friends who are fluent in it. I'd like my Yiddish
spelling corrected.
Do you fast on Yom Kippur? I used to when I was a young adult. Long,
long ago.
What does it mean to say a program "supports Yiddish"? One of the
companies you listed said on their web site that they spell-check
several languages including Hebrew and did not include Yiddish. It
said these were the only languages they spell-check.
Thanks for the superb website. I'm going to do it.
Miriam
|
Clarification of Answer by
taxmama-ga
on
15 Sep 2002 18:17 PDT
Dear Miriam,
Yiddish was one of my first languages, as a very young child. But
that's so long ago, in the mists of the distant past. I still
understand it, more or less,(and German and Dutch, as a result) but no
longer speak it. And that's a shame. It's such a rich language. With
such subtlety. You'll enjoy learning it.
My favorite Yiddish curse is, "May you have interesting life."
(Use your imagination about why that's a curse.)
You asked what vendors mean when they say "supports Yiddish"?
Honestly, I don't know. It's pretty vague, isn't it?
It could mean something different on each site.
That's why I dug deeper. "supports Yiddish" is meaningless.
It could simply mean that the software will let you type in
Yiddish (because Yiddish uses the same letters as Hebrew).
Or it could mean that it really spell-checks or does more.
That's why I read the sites in more depth and called around.
(Oh, don't worry too much about getting it right. Your friends will be
so flattered and delighted that you are taking the trouble to even
try, they'll help you!)
Got to go now. Back on Tuesday if you have more questions.
I'd love to know what happens.
Best wishes
Your TaxMama-ga
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
grandma2002-ga
on
15 Sep 2002 21:20 PDT
Hi, TaxMama,
Thanks for your response. Are you off for Yom Kippur.
I'll let you know where I finally buy the software. It's been a
pleasure working with you. You're so personable.
Miriam
|
Clarification of Answer by
taxmama-ga
on
16 Sep 2002 14:49 PDT
Hi Miriam,
Thank you so much!
If you get a chance, please rate my response.
This is very important to the Google system.
And if you save the address of this question/answer session,
https://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=62249
when you do get the software, click on the clarification button, I'll
get an e-mail letting me know you wrote something.
Have fun.
Great way to start a new year.
Best wishes,
Your TaxMama-ga
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